How to Find the History of an Address

August 18, 2017, 11:33 am209 Views

Whether you’re moving into a new house or you want to know more about a particular address, you may need to dig years, decades, or even centuries into the past. With so much data to go though, where should you start? Find out how to search address history and get the information you need.

Research the Home’s Construction

If you’re looking for a hands-on research strategy that could help you find out when the house was built, try learning more about the home’s construction. Keep in mind that this method works best on your own home, since you’ll need to get up close and personal with the property.

Start by making note of some of the architectural aspects of your home. The house’s roof design, window placement, layout, and architectural style can give you a clue as to when it was built.

Next, you’ll want to look more closely at the construction materials. Stone, wood, and nail type can offer important clues about the house’s original construction date. Original fixtures, such as toilets, can also provide clues about your home’s history, as these elements often have date stamps. Design elements like cabinetry and molding can also offer hints about the home’s area or its renovation history.

If you want to get scientific, try analyzing the paint inside or outside your home. Chances are that you’ll find several layers of paint underneath the current one, and in an older home, you could even uncover over a dozen layers. Try talking with a local historian to understand when each color was popular or get the paint analyzed to learn ballpark dates for each coat.

Do a Title Search

Analyzing a house’s bones can offer clues about its history, but the information that this type of research turns up might not answer all of your questions. If you want to know more about the home’s ownership, sales, mortgage, or foreclosure history, you’ll need to dig deeper.

If you’re researching a local property, you may be able to search titles and deeds for the property in question. After all, these official documents record some of the most revealing information about a house’s history. They show owner names and can also record construction dates, property values, and the plot itself. In some areas, you may also be able to pull up building permits via municipal offices.

Keep in mind that this method often requires some legwork. You’ll need to know the jurisdiction that filed the documents, and you’ll need to make a trip to the courthouse or the registry of deeds. Some jurisdictions may offer research over the phone or online, but the information they provide may be available in printed form only. That means your search could take several weeks as you perform searches and request paper records.

Look Into Address Records

One of the fastest and easiest ways to search address history is right at your fingertips. You can do an extensive property records search online and access a long list of information about virtually any address without even leaving your seat.

When you use CheckThem’s property records search tool, you’ll get all of the essential information about an address in a matter of minutes. Just type in the address you want to learn more about, and you’ll get access to deeds, titles, sales history, and mortgages. If the property has been involved in a foreclosure, you’ll get details about that, too.

CheckThem’s online address search goes way beyond the basics, though. You’ll also get access to liens against the property or land, building permits, and licenses related to work done on the property. You’ll also find out about land assessments, the value of improvements, and even a complete tax history. You can also learn a lot about the neighborhood surrounding the property, since you’ll get a description of the location, too.

If you’re thinking about buying a property or if you want to know more about the history of a neighbor’s home, this is a smart way to do it. This high-powered search engine locates public records online and offers you immediate access, so you’ll get nothing but the facts right away.

Find Out More About Current and Previous Owners

If you’re curious about a property and its history, there’s a good chance you want to know more about current and past owners, too. After all, there are many reasons that finding out about the previous occupants of an address could prove helpful. If you’re thinking about buying or renting a place, you want to know exactly what you’re getting into, including the information that your real estate agent isn’t likely to share, such as previous problem owners or tenants.

With a property records search, you’ll get access to this kind of information right away. If the property has been linked with evictions or bankruptcy records, you’ll find out immediately. You’ll also get details on the previous owners or renters, so you can determine how long they lived at the address. If a property you’re considering renting has had a long string of very short-term renters, that could be a red flag, especially if you’re looking for a long-term home.

You don’t have to limit your address history search to properties you currently live in or those where you might reside in the future, though. You can also use the property records search tool to find out more about a neighbor. You might not convince your neighbor to divulge information about past evictions or bankruptcies, but a quick property records search will reveal just that.

From there, you can dig further into your neighbors’ pasts and learn about their employment history, marriage and divorce records, and even criminal history. You might not want to dig into just anyone’s personal history, but if you’re considering leaving your kids next door after school or asking your neighbors to drive the kids to school, you need to know whom you’re dealing with.

Whether you want to know more about your house, a neighbor’s house, or a property you’re planning to buy, there’s no need to make your address search complicated. Use the property records search tool from CheckThem and search the address history for any property that catches your attention.

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